Author: Brandon Peoples

Fog is blamed for an early morning crash that injured two people in north Riley County Thursday. The Kansas Highway Patrol says two pickups collided at the intersection of Sherman Road and US Hwy 77 shortly after 7 a.m. A westbound truck driven by 63-year-old Patrick Johnson of Manhattan failed to stop at a stop sign to poor visibility and struck a northbound truck, driven by 50-year-old Daniel Reves of Westmoreland. Reves’ truck entered the ditch and overturned. According to the crash report, Reves was transported to Ascension Via Christi for a suspected serious injury. Johnson sustained a minor injury…

A pair from Manhattan were transported to Ascension Via Christi Hospital Wednesday morning following an injury crash on Interstate 70. The Kansas Highway Patrol says the couple were eastbound near mile marker 322, along the Riley/Wabaunsee county line, when the trailer they were pulling started to sway. The trailer laid over on its side and drug their GMC Sierra pickup truck onto the south shoulder, where it overturned. Authorities say 67-year-old Randy Davis and 58-year-old Maribeth Davis were both transported for possible injuries after reported complaints of pain. The crash report says both were wearing seat belts.

Riley County health officials confirmed the death of a 79-year-old man who tested positive recently for COVID-19. The man was fully vaccinated, and died Sept. 30 after testing positive just two weeks earlier. His death represents the 59th COVID-related death in Riley County. New COVID infections for the past week totaled 49 with 58 additional recoveries identified since the Sept. 29 report. Since December, the health department has seen 214 positive cases from variants of concern. As of Wednesday, six COVID-positive patients were under care at Ascension Via Christi Hospital, including five unvaccinated individuals. Three unvaccinated patients are in the…

Local candidates are taking part in a pair of virtual forums this weekend put on by the League of Women Voters of Manhattan/Riley County. Both forums are airing on News Radio KMAN, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. The event will also stream via Facebook live on the KMAN Facebook page. The six USD 383 school board candidates will participate first, followed by the candidates in the Manhattan City Commission race. The city candidate forum will start at approximately 3 p.m. Nine candidates will appear on the ballot, eight of which are participating in Sunday’s forum. Candidates will each have time…

Ten months after breaking ground on the Aggieville parking garage, the project is starting to take shape. Last month, a change order was approved to install a necessary fire suppression system, which Manhattan city staff admittedly overlooked. City Manager Ron Fehr provided a progress report during KMAN’s In Focus. Fehr says the next phase of construction involves the streets surrounding the garage, which will start once crews finish up at 14th and Anderson as well as 14th to Manhattan Avenue, which is slated for reconstruction from Fremont to Bluemont Ave. The city is planning to rebuild all service connections off…

Geary County USD 475 will continue to require students, staff and visitors to wear masks through at least early spring. The school board voted Monday to extend its mask requirement for all patrons regardless of vaccination status until April 4, 2022. The board says it will reassess the situation at that time. The masking requirement applies to all district facilities and vehicles, including school buses. Staff and students exposed to COVID-19 can still test to stay at school, as part of the district’s Test to Stay and Learn program.

Pottawatomie County officials say over $71,000 was paid to hackers following a September ransomware attack, which compromised the county’s IT systems. That’s down from the apparent $1 million the county says was initially demanded. It includes $71,250 paid to the threat actor and $356.25 in exchange fees to facilitate the cyber currency payment. The funds were paid out of the county’s General Fund and a substantial portion will be refunded by the county’s self-insurance pool. County Commissioner Pat Weixelman explains why the county ultimately chose to make the payment. Weixelman says it was the commission that gave County Administrator Chad Kinsley the green light…

DICKINSON COUNTY — An 18-year-old is dead following a crash Friday afternoon in Dickinson County. The Kansas Highway Patrol says just before 12:30 p.m., Javier Fuentes, of Junction City, was driving southbound on Hwy 56, about 3 miles south of Herington when, for an unknown reason, his Honda Accord drifted to the left, crossed the centerline and went into the east ditch. The crash report says the vehicle then swerved back to the right and into the northbound lanes, directly in front of an oncoming semi truck. Both vehicles collided almost head on. Fuentes died on scene. The crash report…

Pottawatomie County officials are slowly restoring computer systems and machines following a Sept. 17 ransomware attack that encrypted multiple servers. The county was able to reach a resolution by paying less than 10 percent of the hacker’s original demands. The final settlement wasn’t disclosed. In a news release Friday, County Administrator Chad Kinsley said the ransom was reduced by “more than 90 percent from the hackers’ original demand, an almost unheard-of outcome, every saved dollar which is taxpayer revenue the county keeps to serve our citizens.” KMAN has filed an open records request to determine the specific amount paid to…

A Randolph man was killed and four family members were injured in a Thursday night vehicle crash in rural Clay County. The Kansas Highway Patrol says a Dodge Durango driven by 51-year-old Kevin Dettmer was eastbound on 30th Road near Valley View Road, roughly 8 miles north of the town of Green. It happened just after 9 p.m. The crash report says the driver swerved to avoid a cardboard box in the roadway. The vehicle over corrected and struck a bridge pillar. Dettmer was pronounced dead on scene. His wife Kyra and three children, aged 11, 8 and 5 sustained…